Vibrant Couscous Salad with Homemade Pesto, Nuts, and Grilled Vegetables

This couscous salad with fresh pesto is a meal-prep superstar—make extra for a delicious lunch the next day.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 g couscous
• 2 orange bell peppers
• 1 zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 100 g mixed unsalted nuts
• 45 g basil
• 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 15 g Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• sunflower oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the pesto dressing, blend the basil, olive oil, Parmesan, pine nuts, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and zest in a food processor until smooth. If too thick, add 1-2 tbsp more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Trim the zucchini ends and slice it and the eggplant into 1 cm thick rounds. Halve the bell peppers and remove seeds; cut one into wedges. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and pepper wedges with a drizzle of sunflower oil. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes.

Dice the remaining bell pepper into 1 cm pieces and coarsely chop the nuts. Cook the couscous per package instructions.

Gently mix the couscous with the pesto dressing, chopped nuts, and fresh bell pepper. Divide among plates and top with the roasted vegetables.

Recipe and image: Orange Paprika Association